Epsom 'salt' ?

**camprn** 3/30/2010, 7:00 pm

Does any one have experience with this? What say you? http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1lmitL/www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/epsomll4e.htm :?:

lisaphoto 3/30/2010, 7:15 pm

I know Donna from youtube uses it on her tomatoes, and they always look huge

Jeff Buffington 3/30/2010, 7:23 pm

lisaphoto wrote:I know Donna from youtube uses it on her tomatoes, and they always look huge

Yeah, what's up with the Epsom Salt and Powdered Milk? I think it'd be great if we had a resource for all the tonics and treatments here on the forums. Perhaps someone could start a sticky for information about that sorta stuff.

I've used Epsom Salts in the past to soak my feet in... but that's about my extent of use with it (I understand it can also be used as a laxitive, but never wanted to test that theory.)

Can't say I've ever bought Powdered Milk (not sure what it's actually for.. Shocked

), but it does stand to reason that it would contain calcium and other nutrients.

SFG in Chicago 3/30/2010, 7:38 pm

My Mom told me to add epsom salts, crushed egg shells, and a few match heads to the hole when I transplant my tomatoes. She's been successful with tomatoes over the years so I suppose I will follow her advice.

Virginia

**camprn** 3/30/2010, 7:49 pm

Virginia, very interesting about your mom's garden wisdom. How much of each?

Jeff Buffington 3/30/2010, 8:27 pm

Found this article online... somewhat interesting...

I am an avid iced tea drinker, and have been putting my spent teabags into my compost for the past year. I've been trying to get my wife to throw the eggshells, wilted salad mix, and somewhat dehydrated veggies (no longer good for eating) into the compost bucket.

I haven't gotten the powdered milk or Epsom salts yet, but who knows... maybe I'll try it!

**timwardell** 3/30/2010, 8:36 pm

Here's another good link that explains things:
http://gardening.about.com/od/organicgardenin1/f/Epsom_Salts.htm
They cite sulphur as an active component which might explain why someone suggested match heads in a previous post. There was a well known gardener in East Dallas who swore by Epsom Salt and a spoon full of plain sugar (to get the microbes movin' as he put it).

SFG in Chicago 3/30/2010, 9:49 pm

camprn wrote:Virginia, very interesting about your mom's garden wisdom. How much of each?

I wrote it down somewhere but I can't find it, I'll ask her again. I don't think the measurements are terribly critical though.

chocolatepop 3/30/2010, 10:08 pm

yeah, epsom salt is supposed to be for potassium deficiency, powdered milk and egg shells for calcium (but I was told the eggs shells had to be in the compost form, not just crushed), and match heads a sulfur deficiency.

http://4e.plantphys.net/chapter.php?ch=5

SFG in Chicago 3/30/2010, 11:58 pm

Epsom Salts are magnesium sulfate, provides magnesium and sulfur to plants, not potassium.

chocolatepop 3/31/2010, 12:03 am

opps, my bad you are correct, i was thinking about potassium chloride. brain behind my fingers again.

SFG in Chicago 3/31/2010, 1:17 pm

Ok here's the word on tomatoes from Mom. About a rounded tablespoon of epsom salts in the hole, slightly mixed around with the soil. The magnesium is supposed to help with root development. About 1 crushed egg shell in each hole, the calcium helps prevent blossom end rot. She has seen a big improvement with this problem since she started using the egg shells. 2 or 3 match heads in each hole. She's can't remember what the sulfur is supposed to do for the tomatoes but she does it anyway. flower

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